Letter of 11-18-13 to Honda Motor Company warning them that the resistance in their steering was causing permanent accumulative finger and hand injuries due to the compressing shock loads to owners skeletal and soft tissue (one of the main causes of carpal tunnel). The stiff suspension is also causing numerous, serious, damaging, and in many cases...permanent injuries due to the shaking of the human body mass...autism, degenerative disc disease, hip replacements, depression, mood swings, etc.

I’m contacting you today to make you aware that we have discovered two design flaws (steering and suspension) that have been causing serious health issues for over 25-years that must be corrected immediately to avoid what will prove to be a radical negative impact on quality of life.The flaws result in human physical function loss due to pain and deformities in body mass and because our sciences have failed to realize that our human mass (soft and hard) has a “variable material creep force tolerance threshold value.” Mercedes-Benz is implementing suspension changes to eliminate health problems as noted below.

In 2001, I initiated a study to determine why I developed so many muscle/skeletal injuries after retiring. Straight fingers became curved, knuckles twisted, chronic pain in lower back, hip, left shoulder, headaches, and other chronic ailments. The causes of the injuries were traced to the discovery of the presence of the “variable material creep force tolerance threshold value” in human body mass. The high effort steering system and stiff suspension in my 2000 Chevrolet Impala were responsible for shock loads traveling through my body mass while it was conducting the process of generating and delivering (G&D) the higher forces necessary to overcome the resistance in the steering system within 3/10ths of a second. The faster the vehicle speed the more resistance encountered, which required even greater forces and shock loading.

The stiff suspension allows the delivery of shock loads (body shaking) through the human body because it does not absorb the shocks from the uneven road surfaces. The repetitive shock loads inflict a damaging shock loading dynamic force, which pushes matter through its elastic state, and into its plastic state resulting in mass change (deformation).

The steering problem started in the 80’s when the auto industry started replacing “low effort” (LE) one finger steering with todays “high effort” (HE) which requires one or both hands while turning the wheel or course corrections because of the steering resistance. Remember “feel the road” and “take charge of your car” advertising in the 80’s by Mercedes? Even with two hands steering, shock-loading injuries are unavoidable. Shock loads are inherent with the HE design. Note: Children with soft (low material creep) bones develop similar injuries from video gaming. Adults and children’s deformities (bending and twisting) went unrecognized because video gaming and HE steering became popular at the same time. Adults use their injured fingers as a benchmark for comparing their children’s injured fingers. If your children conducted any process in Module 1 of our web site then compare their fingers to a 2 or 3-year-old child that has not conducted these processes or attended a Day Care facility that encourages coloring for behavioral control. See Pages 3-44 to 3-51, for identification of the dynamic force presence in the coloring process and its resulting bending and knuckle twisting in children’s fingers. Two pictures on Page 3-53.

The G&D process is started by firmly positioning the feet to the floor (anchoring). Muscles from the toes through the finger tips snap/jerk from a relaxed state to a taunt state while delivering the forces and shock loads to all muscles, joints, and tissues involved in the process. Some situations require the G&D process to include the weight of the upper torso in the amount of the delivering force. The G&D process occurs with every steering resistance encountered. The human senses, sense the presence of the resistance, but don’t know the amount of the resistance. In the G&D process, the shock loading forces are absorbed by the bone mass, cartilage, disc, and soft tissue (force pushing mass into its plastic state). See Module 2, Line item #2 of our web site. See Chart #15 on Page 2-25, Chart 16 on Page 2-26, Chart #17 on Page 2-28. (Free copy of our information “Our Silent Epidemic” is available in Module 6 of our web site www.miketomich.com).

Many health problems develop because of the required circular shock loading forces. On a smooth road with a low road crown, steering adjustments range from 56 to over 136 a minute at 55 mph. Each steering adjustment delivers an excessive forces accumulates in the injured tissues thus expanding the injury.

The steering resistance is a major factor in the development of carpal tunnel, chronic shoulder- back-neck-hip-knee-ankle-elbow-hand injury, inflammation, finger pain, numbness, arthritic joints, and more. Many of these injuries are shown throughout our site and book, also see the end of Section 2 of our down loadable ‘Our Silent Epidemic’ in Module 6.

The steering wheels are too thick because the size does not allow parallelism between the knuckles and wheels grasping surfaces. Driver wheel contact is made with the palm of the hands and fingertips (10-2 grasping position). Forces delivered in this position result in fingers bending backward at the first and/or second knuckles. In addition, knuckles become twisted from the forces pressing the knuckles to make full wheel surface contact during force delivery to move the wheel. In addition, if the tip of a finger rides on any part of the steering wheel surface, the main knuckle at the hand for that finger becomes quickly enlarged and develops painful arthritis within six thousand miles. Please refer to Module 2, line item #2 on our site www.miketomich.com. Refer to ‘Our Silent Epidemic’ (downloadable in Module 6) Page 2-47 Group of pictures at bottom of page. Picture on Page 2-74 and the bottom of Page 2-47 in “Our Silent Epidemic” information book. See Figures 31 and 32 on Page 2-48 and 2-49 for twisting or bones and knuckles from the thick steering wheel and resistance.

The right and left turning resistance is responsible for vertebrae shifting out of position in the back due to the uneven pulling of the back muscles during various turns and course corrections. This is another cause and effect by the G&D process with fast developing crippling results (first physical signs usually within six thousand miles). Some injuries include numbness/tingling in hands and fingers, chronic arm-neck-shoulder pain, migraine headaches, neck and back disc compressions. Steering effort must be reduced to easy one finger steering (see video on low effort harmless steering, in Module 2, Line item #3 on or site).

Stiff suspensions also result in serious health problems and we believe it may be linked to the cause of autism. Degenerative back disease, sciatica nerve injuries, fibromyalgia, and other injuries mentioned in this letter, are increased by the shaking of the body. Autism started to become a problem in the 80’s when the HE steering and stiff suspensions were added to vehicles, and hard injection molded seats replaced spring seating. Today our suspensions and hard molded seating do not isolate riders from the shock loads generated on uneven road surfaces that shake the human body. In seven months an embryo can experience 7-9 million+ shock loads traveling through it. Many mothers work almost to their due date and our research in the negative results of impact forces on the human body indicates the shaking of the mother during pregnancy (shock loads, mini-traumas) may be the major cause of autism, instead of a chemical cause. Many physicians believe it happens in the uterus. Dr. Christopher Walsh, Children's Hospital Boston states “autism happens in the Uterus.” Hospital of Boston “it affects all kids, all races. Dr. Christine O’Rourke-Lang, Autism Behavior Analysis; “everyone knows someone with autism now. Reference ’PBC presentation 'Decoding Autism' (9-19-11, Sara Lee Kessler). CDC 3-21-13, Autism is now 1 in 50 children and no hint of a cure is available.

Mercedes-Benz designed and promoted the stiff steering and stiff suspensions on their vehicles in the 80’s. The automotive industry copied it as fashionable. Mercedes-Benz is now converting to a soft riding suspension system that isolates passengers from the bumps in the uneven road surfaces. They are now scrapping that stiff suspension system they designed and promoted because they know of the autism connection; they realize that shaking the human body has serious consequences. One video of their ‘Fully Active Suspension Technology’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df2mM5jP1W0

There are other vehicle design issues, seat belts/seating/height/width/weight of steering wheel, etc. Example; Seat belts secure the hips to the seat and bouncing from the stiff suspension and seating causes the L-4, and L-5 vertebrae to respond to the bouncing and shaking by separating and clashing together with every bump felt by the body. HE steering is also a factor in lower back pain. This is one major reason why so many police officers and other high mileage drivers suffer from chronic lower back and sciatic pain. Both small and large frame people develop the accumulative injuries but the injuries appear faster in smaller framed people. Bending of fingers and twisting of knuckles usually appear within six thousand miles.

You’ll find that a majority of employee medical expenses will be attributed to the steering, suspension, and seating problems. This is typically reflected in workmen’s compensation claims for shoulder, back, knee, elbow, carpal tunnel, depression, Fibromyalgia, hip/shoulder replacements, chronic pain, pain pill addictions, and various other additional musculoskeletal injuries. Mini trauma injuries deteriorate healthy mass while making the injuries irreversible and susceptible to easy failure which is typically blamed on business processes. There are other damaging processes in life and business today, which can easily be corrected once our new rules for safer ergonomics are shared with process and product designers.

In addition to Mercedes-Benz converting stiff suspension to soft/smooth riding suspensions, Mayo Clinic agrees with our study results and is presently conducting necessary clinical studies in this matter. Unfortunately, due to defined protocols, an announcement isn’t expected until after the three remaining years of the study are over. Innocent passengers will continue to develop these injuries unless you take the lead to stop them now.

Please consider giving this information to your people in physics, and I hope you will provide me the opportunity to share our information with them. Unfortunately, many mechanical engineers have difficulty understanding our information about the “variable material creep force tolerance threshold values” as being applicable to human body mass.

I have experienced many of the muscle/skeletal problems identified in our information after I purchased a 2000 Chevrolet Impala. After seeing the same injuries with other Impala drivers, we asked GM in 2002 to participate in our new study, they declined but we continued with our studies which led us also to new rules for ergonomics.

I hope you see the opportunity to take the lead in providing newly designed vehicles that avoid conflict with the “variable material creep force tolerance threshold values” and the new ergonomics. Please feel comfortable contacting me with any questions. We hope to communicate with you soon. If we do not hear from you within the next 40 days, then I’ll assume you’re not interested in our input.

Yours truly,

Michael Tomich and/for

Amar Sawar M.D., Kausik Raval M.D., Professor Kenneth Granke M.D.

"Our Silent Epidemic"

Picture & Reference Guide www.miketomich.com

Part 1 What you need to know before reading this book.This publication presents the "mechanical process" responsible for musculoskeletal injuries, including; arthritis, RA, bending of bones, twisted fingers, deformed fingers, back-neck-shoulder-hip-knee-ankle chronic pain, sciatic nerve, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, physical therapy, medical operations, and death. This information presents results from our private research which identifies the most common sources of dynamic force injuries to children and adults...that being video gaming, computers, coloring for children, and adults driving "high effort steering" vehicles which arecommon in todays automotive world.

Part 2 The Automotive StoryPage Issue/Reference2-7 In 2000, my physical health started deteriorating.2-8 People Case Studies2-12 Figure 1, 2 Deformed knuckles [from Impala Steering wheel]2-13 Figure 4, 5 Damaging hand gripping positions2-15 Physical therapy facility2-15 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier driving experience2-16 Figure 6 Seating designs of vehicles of yesteryear [before injection molding]2-17 Figure 7 Impala seating2-17 Figure 8 Force - Pressure of vertebra2-17 Figure 9 Seating - Gravity - Body off perpendicular by 10 degrees2-18 Figure 10 Disk movement due to off parallel of 10 degrees2-19 Figure 11 Combined focus concentration of weight and forces to hips and lumbar2-20 Written example of force delivery from the end of a finger (No chart)2-21 Figure 12-1 Areas A and B of drivers back - supported and unsupported 2-21 Figure 12-2 Pivot point of Areas A and B2-23 Figure 14 Muscular system of our back 2-25 Figure 15 Time-Effort-Shock chart identifying shock load in high effort steering2-26 Figure 16 Destructive Forces and Vibration - identification of shock loads, dynamic forces, and vibrations2-27 Wrist support therapies 2-28 Figure 17 Chart identification of difference between damaging high effort steering and non-damaging low effort steering2-29 Figure 18, 19 Commonly used damage inflicting gripping position2-29 Cause of L-4, L-5 disk damage2-30 Figure 20 Damage inflicted steering wheel gripping positions2-30 Figure 21 Picture of knuckles that became bent and twisted from grasping the steering wheel contour shown in Figure 20 2-32 Notation-Figure 22 Drawing of parallel knuckle surfaces2-32 Figures 23-1, 23-2 New routing of tendon on top surface of middle finger and finger functional limitations2-32 Figure 24 Inward bending of ring finger2-33 Figure 25 Small finger gripping the thick steering wheel that results in permanent deformity of K10 knuckle and causes outward bending of small finger2-33 Figures 26-1, 26-2, 26-3 Pictures of small fingers bent away from hands2-34 Figures 27-1, 27-2, 27-3 Identification of dynamic forces to thumb2-34 Figure 27-4 Enlargement of thumb indicating degrees of deformities2-35 Figure 27-5 Picture of deformed thumbs2-35 Figures 28-1, 28-2, 28-3 Pictures of thumb deformities2-36 Figure 28-4 Picture of thumb deformities2-36 Figures 28-5, 28-6 Picture of forces causing children's thumbs to bend outward2-37 Figure 28-7 Picture of an outward bending thumb of an elderly lady2-37 Figure 28-8 Wrinkles on thumb identifying direction of outward bending2-37 Figure 28-9 Inability to touch thumb to hand2-37 Figure 28-10 Inability to touch thumb to small finger2-37 Figure 28-11 Inability to use a damaged thumb in holding a cloth2-38 Figure 28-12 Holding a brush with a deformed thumb2-38 Figure 28-13 Holding a dinner fork using the tip of the thumb2-38 Figure 28-14 New grasping position using a screw driver2-38 Figure 28-15 New grasping position using a pair of pliers2-39 Figure 28-16 Thumb deformities when dialing a phone2-39 Figure 29-1, 29-2 Gripping positions that would not allow curtain cord to be pulled2-39 Figure 29-3 Gripping position that must be used to enable pulling of curtain cord 2-41 Figure 29-4 Common damaging steering wheel grip position2-41 Figure 29-5 Circular bending of index and middle finger from 9-4 grasping position2-42 Figure 30-1 Identification of thick, rough, callused skin from steering wheel grip2-43 Figure 30-2 Enlarged view of rough, callused, skin of index finger2-43 Figure 30-3 Picture of thick, rough, callused, non elastic skin on index finger2-43 Figure 30-4 Picture of thick, rough, callused, non elastic skin on inside of thumb2-44 Figure 30-5-1 Picture of palm of the right hand - area of discomfort2-44 Figure 30-5-2 Enlarged area of the palm of the hand2-44 Figure 30-5-3 Area of palm with pain and discomfort attributed to grasp of thick steering wheel with the tips of the fingers and palms2-44 Figure 30-5-4 Picture of the thick, callused, skin from holding the steering wheel2-45 Figure 30-5-5 Picture of the skin on the elbow becoming stretched2-45 Figure 30-5-6 Picture of the excess stretched skin of the elbow2-45 Figure 30-5-7, 30-5-8 Additional pictures of stretched elbow skin2-46 Figure 30-6-1 Picture of the texture of a new Impala steering wheel2-47 Figure 30-6-2, 30-6-3 Picture of Impala steering wheel with texture worn off2-47 Insert - Finger Feathering Effect - 6 pictures of finger tips bent backwards2-48 Figure 31 Drawing of a healthy knuckle making initial contact with contour of steering wheel 2-49 Figure 32 Drawing of an Unhealthy Knuckle that has been conformed to make full contact with the surface of a steering wheel that is off parallel to natural surface of a healthy knuckle2-50 Figure 33-1, 33-2 Picture of the small bone structure of the fingers and hand2-50 Figure 34-1 Picture of the fingers bent and twisted to conform to unnatural steering wheel contour2-50 Figure 34-2 Picture of fingers bent and twisted to conform to unnatural steering wheel contour. High points of the knuckles are identified (commonly referred to as Bouchard's/Heberden's nodes)2-51 Figure 34-3 Finger tips that are bent towards the thumb from holding the steering wheel in the position shown in 34-42-51 Figure 34-4 A gripping position that results in dynamic forces causing the fingers to bent upward as shown in 34-32-51 Figure 34-5 Identification of poorly designed steering wheel of a 2002 Pontiac Sunbird with a damaging high effort steering system that results in the finger deformities identified in 34-32-52 Figure 35-1 Identification of damaging gripping surfaces that are off parallel to the natural knuckle surfaces which result in twisted knuckles 2-52 Figure 35-2 Picture of 4 knuckles that have become permanently bent and twisted from grasping the off parallel surfaces of the steering wheel shown in 35-12-53 Sphere to sphere contact (calculations)2-54 Traumatic effects of vibration - additional emphasis on the2-54 Three pages of children's information2-55 Figure 36-1, 36-2 Pictures of a 3-year-old girls finger deformities from playing games using a computer keyboard and mouse2-56 Figure 37-3 Picture of deformed fingers of a 10-year-old girl from playing video games2-56 Figure 38-1, 38-2, 38-3 Picture of deformed fingers of a young child from playing video games on a Nintendo 64 video game player2-57 Figure 39 Picture of permanently bent and twisted fingers of a 24-year-old young man that started playing video games as a toddler2-58 Figure 40-1 Picture of deformed fingers of a 22-year-old lady from driving her 2003 Chevrolet Impala.2-58 Figure 40-2 Picture of the 22-year-old lady in Figure 40-2, indicating how her fingers have curled, bent, and twisted to conform to the gripping position held when driving her Impala2-59 Figure 41-1, 41-2, 41-3, 41-4 Pictures of an old thin steering wheel and latest trend of thick steering wheels2-61 Carpal tunnel syndrome is misconceived as repetitive motion from typing2-64 Some symptoms of health problems associated with high effort vehicles2-66 Figure 42 One of the least damaged fingers2-66 In summary

#1 Michigan Surgeon General 04-04-04#2 Michigan Attorney General 05-24-04#3 State of Washington - Attorney General 05-24-04#4 United States Consumer Product Safety Commission 06-29-04#5 Surgeon General - Michigan 02-20-04#6 Three Michigan Legislators - letter of support 12-20-04#7 One of Many Letters to Manufacturer's requesting their help 05-18-04

The following letter references information found in our free down loadable report "Our Silent Epidemic" which can be obtained in Module 6.

#1 Please download a copy of our book at www.miketomich.com, Item #1 in Module 6.

Our research has identified a new science application to the human body; the presence of “variable material creep force tolerance threshold values” in human mass, which has identifies a horrible weak attribute in our design.

Our web site www.miketomich.com contains much updated information on our skeletal and soft tissue injuries from shock loads exceeding material creep values. There are 6 modules on our site. I suggest Modules 2, and 4 - adults muscle and skeletal injuries, and Module 1 for your young children. Please see all five line items in Module 2 and feel comfortable contacting me with questions. 989-665-2311 Please do not record our conversation.